Engineer tells of narrow escape from North Sea helicopter crash

An engineer has told how he narrowly escaped the worst helicopter crash in the North Sea for two decades after he was pulled off the flight at the last minute to work an extra shift.

A police escorts a hearse carrying the bodies of victims of a helicopter crash as they drive away from a support vessel, the Caledonian Victory, in Aberdeen harbourPhoto: REUTERS

By Auslan Cramb, Scottish Correspondent, and Aislinn Simpson

12:21PM BST 03 Apr 2009

Ian Morrison, 45, said his name had been on the list to board the fated Super Puma helicopter flying from the BP Miller oil platform back to land but he was asked to stay another day just 15 minutes before boarding.

At around 2pm on Wednesday, the helicopter's pilot broadcast a mayday call and seconds later, the aircraft plunged "like a stone" into the sea some 14 miles off the northeastern Scottish coastline.

All the 14 passengers and two crewman are now believed to have died in the tragedy. The bodies of eight have already been recovered and the remaining victims are expected to be found when a salvage crew brings the wreckage aircraft to the surface from a depth of 300ft.

Mr Morrison, a drilling engineer for KCA Deutag who lives in Aberdeen, said: "I was due to fly home on the helicopter that crashed but 15 minutes before I was due to board I was asked if I would stay an extra day after there had been a mix up with shifts.

"My name was at one point on that list and I feel extremely fortunate I was asked to stay. I remember thinking it would have been good to get back home but for some reason I thought I would stay and do the extra work."